Southwest Notes: Pelicans, Marshall, Porzingis, Grizzlies
While it may be tempting to continue revamping their roster around cornerstone players Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans have now won six of eight games and no longer look like a team on the verge of a fire sale, writes Scott Kushner of NOLA.com.
“I said to guys when all that was going on that it’s natural,” Pelicans head coach Stan Van Gundy said. “You’re losing games so people are going to say, ‘Oh shoot, they’re going to blow it up.’ And the rumors are going to start. If we were winning then, like we have in the last seven, then the rumors go away. Because people will think you are happy with your team.”
Multiple reports in late January indicated that the Pelicans were exploring the possibility of moving Lonzo Ball, J.J. Redick, and/or Eric Bledsoe. Those rumors have died down as of late, though that doesn’t mean those players are off the trade block, as Kushner notes. This season’s trade deadline is still six weeks away, so there’s plenty of time for New Orleans to consider whether dealing one or more of those veteran guards makes sense.
Here’s more from around the Southwest:
- The Pelicans have transferred two-way player Naji Marshall to the Erie BayHawks, the team announced today (via Twitter). Marshall will join fellow two-way player Will Magnay on New Orleans’ G League squad.
- A move from power forward to center and an adjustment to longer stretches of playing time have Mavericks big man Kristaps Porzingis enjoying his best run of the season recently, as Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News details.
- Following a seven-game winning streak, the Grizzlies have lost four straight, but there’s no reason to panic, according to Mark Giannotto of The Memphis Commercial Appeal, who says the team simply needs to get healthier. With Jaren Jackson Jr., Brandon Clarke, De’Anthony Melton, and Justise Winslow out, Memphis is missing four of the top eight players in its ideal rotation, Giannotto adds.
And-Ones: G League, Lin, All-Star Game, Sloan, ABA
A trio of G League Ignite prospects – Jonathan Kuminga, Jalen Green, and Daishen Nix – headline Jeremy Woo’s SI.com list of players to watch during the 2020/21 NBAGL season, which tipped off this morning. Kuminga and Green are widely considered top-five prospects for the 2021 draft, and Kuminga and Nix got off to hot starts in their professional debut today.
[RELATED: G League Ignite Eager To Start Season Under Veteran Leadership]
Kevin Porter, Aleksej Pokusevski, Jontay Porter, and Malachi Flynn are among the G League players on assignment from NBA teams who will be worth keeping an eye on during the next few weeks, according to Woo.
Woo’s list also features Jeremy Lin, an NBA veteran who decided to play in the NBAGL this season rather than accepting more lucrative offers to spend another year in China, as he tells Shams Charania of Stadium (video link). Lin’s Santa Cruz Warriors are in action against the Ignite in today’s opener.
Here are more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Sam Amick of The Athletic explains why the NBA is holding an All-Star Game this year despite the objections of many of its biggest stars. As Amick details, league officials feel that the modified event can be pulled off safely and believe that fans want to see the game played. Scrapping this year’s All-Star Game may also have required the league to go back to the negotiating table with Turner/TNT to figure out how to make up for the loss of one of the network’s marquee NBA events.
- Veteran guard Donald Sloan, who appeared in 218 regular season NBA games from 2011-16, has been granted his release by the Adelaide 36ers of the Australian Basketball League, the club announced. The 36ers indicated that Sloan asked to be waived to pursue other opportunities internationally.
- The NBA is in talks with the Dropping Dimes Foundation about potentially assisting more than 100 remaining American Basketball Association players, many of whom are struggling financially and are in need of pensions, a league spokesperson tells Dana Hunsinger Benbow of The Indianapolis Star.
Forbes Releases 2021 NBA Franchise Valuations
It has been an up-and-down 12 months for the NBA, which had to pause its operations for several months when its players first began testing positive for the coronavirus last March. Although the league was eventually able to play the 2020 postseason and is in the midst of its (slightly-abridged) 2020/21 regular season, fans still haven’t been able to return to arenas in many NBA cities, putting a major dent in projected revenues for the coming year.
Despite the financial challenges faced by many of the NBA’s teams, the overall value of those franchises continues to increase, according to a report from Kurt Badenhausen and Mike Ozanian of Forbes. While it’s the most modest year-over-year rise since 2010, Forbes estimates that average team values are up by about 4% from 2020.
The Knicks have become the first franchise to earn a $5 billion valuation from Forbes, with a league-high 9% increase in their value since last February. The Warriors, meanwhile, also saw their value rise by 9%, according to Forbes, surpassing the Lakers for the No. 2 spot on the annual report. The league-wide average of $2.2 billion per team in 2021 is a new record for Forbes’ valuations.
Forbes’ valuations are slightly more conservative than the ones issued by sports-business outlet Sportico last month — Sportico’s report featured an average team value of nearly $2.4 billion, with the Knicks, Warriors, and Lakers all surpassing the $5 billion threshold.
Here’s the full list of NBA franchise valuations, per Forbes:
- New York Knicks: $5 billion
- Golden State Warriors: $4.7 billion
- Los Angeles Lakers: $4.6 billion
- Chicago Bulls: $3.3 billion
- Boston Celtics: $3.2 billion
- Los Angeles Clippers: $2.75 billion
- Brooklyn Nets: $2.65 billion
- Houston Rockets: $2.5 billion
- Dallas Mavericks: $2.45 billion
- Toronto Raptors: $2.15 billion
- Philadelphia 76ers: $2.075 billion
- Miami Heat: $2 billion
- Portland Trail Blazers: $1.9 billion
- San Antonio Spurs: $1.85 billion
- Sacramento Kings: $1.825 billion
- Washington Wizards: $1.8 billion
- Phoenix Suns: $1.7 billion
- Utah Jazz: $1.66 billion
- Denver Nuggets: $1.65 billion
- Milwaukee Bucks: $1.625 billion
- Oklahoma City Thunder: $1.575 billion
- Cleveland Cavaliers: $1.56 billion
- Indiana Pacers: $1.55 billion
- Atlanta Hawks: $1.52 billion
- Charlotte Hornets: $1.5 billion
- Orlando Magic: $1.46 billion
- Detroit Pistons: $1.45 billion
- Minnesota Timberwolves: $1.4 billion
- New Orleans Pelicans: $1.35 billion
- Memphis Grizzlies: $1.3 billion
While most franchise values increased, that wasn’t the case across the board. The Thunder, Hawks, Hornets, Pistons, Pelicans, and Grizzlies all maintained the same value that they had in 2020. No teams decreased in value, however.
The Jazz had the biggest rise in the bottom half of this list, moving from 21st in 2020’s rankings to 18th this year. That’s because the team was actually sold to a new majority owner in recent months, with Ryan Smith assuming control of the franchise at its new $1.66 billion valuation.
As that Jazz example shows, the actual amount a team is sold for often exceeds Forbes’ valuation, so these figures should just be viewed as estimates.
Pacific Notes: Curry, Wiseman, Lakers, Bagley
Following the Warriors‘ loss to the Spurs on Monday night, head coach Steve Kerr said he wouldn’t be changing his approach to Stephen Curry‘s playing time, as Nick Friedell of ESPN writes. Curry, who scored 32 points on Monday and was a plus-three in a game Golden State lost by five points, has been limited to about 34 minutes per game this season in his return from a broken hand.
“I’m into the long game,” Kerr said after Monday’s loss. “We’re counting on having Steph here a long time, many years ahead. … For me, for (the Warriors’) organization, we’re not throwing Steph out there for 40 minutes to chase wins. We got another game (Tuesday). We want Steph to be playing at a high level for many years, so we’re going to stay very disciplined and try to keep him at that 34-, 35-minute mark.”
In the second game of the Warriors’ back-to-back set in San Antonio on Tuesday night, keeping Curry’s playing time in check wasn’t a problem. The former MVP scored 32 points in just 32 minutes en route to a comfortable 114-91 victory.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- While injured Warriors rookie James Wiseman will be formally re-evaluated on Thursday, Kerr was talking on Tuesday night as if the team expects the young center to return from his wrist injury soon, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
- The Lakers are only slightly over the luxury tax line this season, but their roster will likely get significantly more expensive in 2021/22. Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report examines how much the team figures to pay in salary and taxes next season, and where there may be opportunities to cut costs.
- Marvin Bagley III‘s focus this season has been staying healthy and getting comfortable at the four, but the Kings‘ former No. 2 overall pick looked good when forced into action at center on Tuesday vs. Philadelphia, notes Jason Jones of The Athletic. With Richaun Holmes and Hassan Whiteside up for new deals in 2021 and Bagley eligible for an extension, Sacramento will want to determine this season whether having Bagley play more at the five should be part of the team’s long-term plan.
2021 NBA Free Agent Stock Watch Series
Over the course of the 2020/21 NBA league year, we’re keeping an eye on 2021’s free-agents-to-be, monitoring their value and assessing how their play on the court will impact upcoming contract negotiations. Each of these looks at potential 2021 free agents focuses on a specific division, as we zero in on a handful of players from those few clubs.
Each installment in our Free Agent Stock Watch series looking ahead to the 2021 offseason is linked below, along with an outline of which players we discuss in each piece.
We’ll continue to update this page – which can be found under the “Hoops Rumors Features” sidebar of our desktop page, or in the “Features” section of our mobile site – as we add new entries over the coming weeks and months.
Eastern Conference
Playoffs
- June 17
- Lou Williams (Hawks) ⬆️
- Jeff Green (Nets) ⬆️
- Reggie Jackson (Clippers) ⬆️
- Mike Conley (Jazz) ⬇️
- June 11
- Andre Drummond (Lakers) ⬇️
- Serge Ibaka (Clippers) ⬇️
- Langston Galloway (Suns) ⬇️
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Mavericks) ⬆️
- June 5
- Elfrid Payton (Knicks) ⬇️
- Evan Fournier (Celtics) ⬇️
- Duncan Robinson (Heat) ⬆️
- Alex Len (Wizards) ⬇️
Atlantic
- April 16
- Blake Griffin (Nets) ⬇️
- Dwight Howard (Sixers) ⬇️
- Reggie Bullock (Knicks) ⬆️
- Gary Trent Jr. (Raptors) ⬆️
- March 12
- Bruce Brown (Nets) ⬆️
- Nerlens Noel (Knicks) ⬆️
- Aron Baynes (Raptors) ⬇️
- Jeff Teague (Celtics) ⬇️
- Note: Teague has since been traded to the Magic and waived.
- January 22
- Chris Boucher (Raptors) ⬆️
- Dennis Smith Jr. (Knicks) ⬇️
- Note: Smith has since been traded to the Pistons.
- Furkan Korkmaz (Sixers) ⬇️
- Daniel Theis (Celtics) ⬆️
- Note: Theis has since been traded to the Bulls.
Central
- April 23
- Frank Jackson (Pistons) ⬆️
- Denzel Valentine (Bulls) ⬇️
- Doug McDermott (Pacers) ⬆️
- Bryn Forbes (Bucks) ⬆️
- March 5
- T.J. McConnell (Pacers) ⬆️
- Saben Lee (Pistons) ⬆️
- Jarrett Allen (Cavaliers) ⬆️
- Thaddeus Young (Bulls) ⬆️
- January 29
- Wayne Ellington (Pistons) ⬆️
- Andre Drummond (Cavaliers) ⬆️
- Note: Drummond has since been bought out.
- Tomas Satoransky (Bulls) ⬇️
- Bobby Portis (Bucks) ⬆️
Southeast
- May 7
- Nemanja Bjelica (Heat) ⬇️
- Daniel Gafford (Wizards) ⬆️
- John Collins (Hawks) ⬆️
- James Ennis (Magic) ⬇️
- March 19
- Moritz Wagner (Wizards) ⬇️
- Note: Wagner has since been traded to the Celtics.
- Kris Dunn (Hawks) ⬇️
- Duncan Robinson (Heat) ⬆️
- Devonte’ Graham (Hornets) ⬇️
- Moritz Wagner (Wizards) ⬇️
- February 5
- Malik Monk (Hornets) ⬆️
- Tony Snell (Hawks) ⬇️
- Kendrick Nunn (Heat) ⬇️
- Ish Smith (Wizards) ⬇️
Western Conference
Northwest
- May 14
- Norman Powell (Trail Blazers) ⬆️
- Georges Niang (Jazz) ⬆️
- Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk (Thunder) ⬇️
- Austin Rivers (Nuggets) ⬆️
- March 26
- Mike Conley (Jazz) ⬆️
- JaMychal Green (Nuggets) ⬇️
- Kenrich Williams (Thunder) ⬆️
- Harry Giles (Trail Blazers) ⬇️
- February 19
- Hamidou Diallo (Thunder) ⬆️
- Note: Diallo has since been traded to the Pistons.
- Naz Reid (Timberwolves) ⬆️
- Gary Trent Jr. (Trail Blazers) ⬆️
- Note: Trent has since been traded to the Raptors.
- Will Barton (Nuggets) ⬇️
- Hamidou Diallo (Thunder) ⬆️
Pacific
- May 28
- Kawhi Leonard (Clippers) ⬆️
- Cameron Payne (Suns) ⬆️
- Alex Caruso (Lakers) ⬆️
- Hassan Whiteside (Kings) ⬇️
- April 9
- Nicolas Batum (Clippers) ⬆️
- Andre Drummond (Lakers) ⬆️
- Damion Lee (Warriors) ⬇️
- Frank Kaminsky (Suns) ⬇️
- February 27
- Kelly Oubre (Warriors) ⬆️
- Markieff Morris (Lakers) ⬇️
- Langston Galloway (Suns) ⬇️
- Jabari Parker (Kings) ⬇️
- Note: Parker has since been waived.
Southwest
- May 21
- DeMar DeRozan (Spurs) ⬇️
- Lonzo Ball (Pelicans) ⬆️
- Josh Richardson (Mavericks) ⬇️
- Kelly Olynyk (Rockets) ⬆️
- April 2
- Justise Winslow (Grizzlies) ⬇️
- Gorgui Dieng (Spurs) ⬆️
- Boban Marjanovic (Mavericks) ⬇️
- Avery Bradley (Rockets) ⬇️
- February 12
- Lonzo Ball (Pelicans) ⬆️
- Trey Lyles (Spurs) ⬇️
- Tim Hardaway Jr. (Mavericks) ⬆️
- DeMarcus Cousins (Rockets) ⬇️
- Note: Cousins has since been waived.
Atlantic Notes: Embiid, Ntilikina, Rose, Quickley, Flynn
Sixers center Joel Embiid is having the best season of his career and has emerged as a legitimate MVP candidate, writes Derek Bodner of The Athletic. In addition to anchoring a defense that ranks first in the Eastern Conference with a 107.4 rating, Embiid is having his best offensive season, with career highs in points per game (29.3), field-goal percentage (55.3%), and three-point percentage (39.0%), among other categories.
Even if he doesn’t earn MVP honors, Embiid is on track to be named to one of the league’s three All-NBA teams, which would bode well for his future earnings. If he earns an All-NBA spot this season, the Sixers star would become eligible to sign a super-max contract extension that would start at 35% of the 2023/24 salary cap instead of his standard limit of 30%.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- Knicks guard Frank Ntilikina has been ruled out for Tuesday due to entering the NBA’s health and safety protocols, per the team (Twitter link). Ntilikina hasn’t tested positive, but is subject to contact tracing after having been in proximity to someone who tested positive, reports Steve Popper of Newsday (Twitter link). If Ntilikina is determined to have been a close contact of that person, he may be sidelined for the next week.
- While there’s some concern among Knicks fans that newly-acquired point guard Derrick Rose will steal minutes from promising rookie Immanuel Quickley, the two guards have already begun to bond, as Marc Berman of The New York Post writes. “First of all he gave me his number — said anything I need just hit him,” Quickley said of Rose on Tuesday. “But he sat down with me a little bit, me and Obi (Toppin) actually, just told us he’s here to help us, he’s here to help us grow and things like that.”
- As he heads to the G League bubble to gain regular playing time and experience, Malachi Flynn is hoping to follow in the footsteps of Raptors teammate Fred VanVleet, who won an NBAGL title as a rookie before emerging as a key player for an NBA championship team two years later. Blake Murphy of The Athletic has the story.
Hoops Rumors Chat Transcript: 2/9/2021
Three trades have been completed since the 2020/21 NBA season began, but we expect to see many more finalized leading up to the March 25 trade deadline.
With that in mind, we’ve brought back our weekly live chats at Hoops Rumors to discuss all the latest news and rumors in the NBA world. Those chats will take place each Tuesday at 12:00 pm central time (1 pm ET),
Today’s chat transcript can be found right here.
Hawks Notes: Hunter, Reddish, Point Guard, Bogdanovic
Hawks forward De’Andre Hunter, who underwent a lateral meniscus arthroscopic debridement procedure earlier this week, won’t be back on the court for the team anytime soon. Addressing Hunter’s situation today on 92.9 The Game in Atlanta, general manager Travis Schlenk suggested that the 23-year-old will be sidelined until at least late March, and likely sometime in April.
“The doctors say, typically, on average, these things are seven to 10 weeks,” Schlenk said, per Mike Conti of 92.9 The Game. “And most of the guys are ready to go by eight weeks. So, we’re hopeful.”
The Hawks’ initial announcement on Hunter indicated that his status would be updated when he’s re-evaluated in two weeks. According to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Twitter link), the club hopes to have a clearer idea at that point about which end of the seven-to-10 week timeline is more likely to apply to Hunter.
Here’s more out of Atlanta:
- Chris Kirschner of The Athletic explores what Hunter’s absence will mean for the Hawks in the short term and the long term, noting that the pressure on new starting small forward Cam Reddish will increase. Kirschner also expects Atlanta to play it safe with Hunter’s return timeline to help avoid any recurring knee issues.
- In a separate story for The Athletic, Kirschner and John Hollinger discussed a few Hawks-related topics, including the hole at backup point guard that Rajon Rondo hasn’t adequately filled. Hollinger, who questioned Atlanta’s decision not to claim Elfrid Payton when New York waived him in November, suggested that Payton, George Hill, Delon Wright, and T.J. McConnell could be potential targets if Atlanta tries to shore up the position via trade.
- Hawks guard Bogdan Bogdanovic, who was only able to play nine games for his new team before being sidelined by a right knee fracture, spoke to Sarah K. Spencer of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution about the injury and his goal to return before the end of the first half. “Anything before All-Star would be really good for me, but I don’t want to put the pressure on it,” Bogdanovic said. “But I would like to play before the All-Star (break), if it was me, and if my body heals up.”
Eastern Rumors: Celtics, Knicks, Payton, Knox, Bulls
The Celtics appear to be in the market for an in-season upgrade to their roster, according to Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer, who says he received “a flurry of texts” on Saturday night from executives around the league who suggested that Boston appeared to be up to something.
The Celtics haven’t completed any moves in the couple days since then, so there’s no indication at this point that anything is imminent — the team could wait until closer to the March 25 trade deadline to attempt to finalize a move. O’Connor notes that league sources have long stated that the C’s are looking to bolster their wing and frontcourt rotations.
Discussing the Celtics’ massive trade exception during a radio appearance last week, president of basketball operations Danny Ainge suggested the club’s top priority on the trade market will be “shooting with size.”
Here’s more from around the East:
- The Knicks aren’t done exploring trade options after acquiring Derrick Rose from Detroit, says Ian Begley of SNY.tv (video link). According to Begley, at least one team in playoff contention has shown some interest in Elfrid Payton. Additionally, while New York didn’t want to move Kevin Knox in the Rose deal, that doesn’t mean that he’s untouchable “by any stretch of the imagination,” per Begley.
- As long as the Bulls continue playing sub-.500 ball, Zach LaVine – whose contract expires in 2022 – will be the subject of trade rumors. However, K.C. Johnson of NBC Sports Chicago argues that LaVine, whose scoring average this season is up to a career-high 27.4 PPG, continues to improve and that the team should seriously consider pursuing a contract extension for the standout guard in the offseason.
- With multiple reports indicating that the Bulls could be a landing spot for Pelicans guard Lonzo Ball, Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype explains why a trade sending him to Chicago would make sense for both Ball and the Bulls.
Jrue Holiday Not Traveling With Bucks To Phoenix
Bucks guard Jrue Holiday was a late scratch on Monday night, having entered the NBA’s health and safety protocols shortly before the team’s game against Denver tipped off. While Holiday’s status going forward remains up in the air, the Bucks indicated after Monday’s contest that he wouldn’t be traveling with the club to Phoenix for Wednesday’s game vs. the Suns, per Eric Nehm of The Athletic.
A player generally enters the league’s health and safety protocols if someone he has been in contact with tests positive for the virus or if he returns a positive or inconclusive test himself. As Nehm observes, Khris Middleton‘s comments about Holiday after the game suggest this may be a case of the latter.
“Once he tested positive, you immediately think about his health, his safety and then his family back home,” Middleton said of his teammate. “He has little kids too that he has to worry about. So, I think that was a huge part of what was going through my mind before the game. Just thinking about him and his family back home.
“Hopefully, the test may come back negative a couple more times and then it’s just a false positive. Right now, I think that’s the best-case scenario, but I’m sure he’ll be fine no matter what though.”
If Holiday did return a positive test, it’s entirely possible – as Middleton points out – that it could have been a false positive. If that’s the case, registering two negative tests should allow Holiday to be cleared, perhaps even in time for Wednesday’s game.
However, if Middleton is right that Holiday tested positive and that test is ultimately confirmed, the Bucks would be without their starting point guard for at least the next couple weeks or so and could have one or more of their other players tied up in a contact-tracing investigation.
As Nehm notes, the Bucks haven’t run into any major coronavirus-related issues so far this season. Milwaukee’s game on January 22 vs. Washington was postponed, but that was due to several COVID-19 cases among the Wizards. The hope is that Holiday’s time in the league’s health and safety protocols will be brief and won’t affect any of his teammates, but we’ll have to wait for further updates for more clarity.